This is the public policy forum of Minneapolis Second Ward (Green) City Council Member Cam Gordon and his staff. We use this space to talk about some of what Cam’s working on, explain his positions, and share a little of what life in City Hall is like. Please feel free to comment on posts, within certain ground rules. See our disclaimer, including ground rules, here: http://secondward.blogspot.com/2006/05/disclaimer.html#links

Monday, March 03, 2008

Produce in Grocery Stores - Another Victory

Yet another accomplishment from last Friday's Council meeting: Minneapolis grocery stores now have to carry at least five varieties of fresh produce, as well as other fresh foods (bread or cereal, meat or vegetable protein, and dairy or vegetarian substitute).

I've been fighting for this for months, along with advocates from the City's Public Health Department and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. It's a pretty small thing - one would expect that grocery stores should have food - but it will help us increase access to healthy, nutritious foods in currently underserved parts of the city, and get a better handle on problem businesses that call themselves grocery stores but mostly sell candy, chips, pop, cigarettes and drug paraphernelia. It's one of many small changes (along with last year's Local Produce Market action) that I hope, in time, will help ensure that everyone, in all parts of Minneapolis, will have easy and comfortable access to good, wholesome foods.